HASBROUCK HEIGHTS, N.J., Oct. 11, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nymox Pharmaceutical Corporation (NASDAQ:NYMX) is pleased to announce successful new study results from the long-term repeated injection group from the U.S. Phase 3 trials for fexapotide, the Company’s lead compound in late stage development for enlarged prostate (BPH) and for localized prostate cancer. The aim of the study was to determine the safety and clinical benefit fexapotide can provide to men who were given a second injection of fexapotide for their prostate enlargement (BPH). In the new study long-term outcomes were determined in 344 patients who were given a single repeat fexapotide treatment after initial blinded treatment with fexapotide or placebo. Patients were followed for 2 to 6.5 years (mean 4.2 years) after initial treatment. All treatment failures were included in the analysis. Results have now shown that there was long-term statistically significant symptomatic improvement (mean improvement of 6.5 points in the AUA BPH Symptom Score) compared to Phase 3 patients who received placebo alone (p<.001). Repeat injection was found to be safe with no significant drug related toxicities or side effects found in the study.

“These prospective long-term study results in reinjected patients clearly demonstrate that fexapotide leads to clinically meaningful long-term symptomatic improvements in BPH patients with minimal treatment, and without the worrisome and bothersome toxicities of conventional BPH treatments such as retrograde ejaculation, and increased cancer risk,” said Dr. Paul Averback MD, CEO of Nymox. “Our earlier reported Phase 3 studies have shown that fexapotide reduces the long-term need for surgery by up to 82-95% compared to approved conventional BPH treatments. Data indicates that fexapotide shows significant efficacy against prostate cancer as a therapeutic, and in addition has been shown in Phase 3 to reduce the risk of prostate cancer when fexapotide is used to treat BPH. This is in comparison to some conventional BPH treatments in routine clinical use today which on the other hand increase prostate cancer risk, and which have these many other well known undesirable side effects,” he said.

Nymox’s lead drug fexapotide has been in development for over a decade and has been tested by expert clinical trial investigative teams in over 70 distinguished clinical trial centers throughout the US, and has been found after 7 years of prospective placebo controlled double blind studies of treatment of 995 U.S. men with prostate enlargement to not only show clinically meaningful and durable relief of BPH symptoms, but also to show a major reduction in the incidence of prostate cancer, compared to placebo and compared to the known and expected normal incidence of the disease. The same clinical program conducted at the same highly regarded treatment centers under rigorous trial scrutiny and performed strictly at arms-length by top teams of clinical investigators across the country, has also shown in a long-term blinded placebo crossover group study an 82-95% reduction in the number of these patients who required surgery after they received crossover fexapotide in the trial, as compared to patients who did not receive fexapotide but instead received crossover conventional approved BPH treatments (p<.0001). The aim of the crossover study was to determine the clinical benefit fexapotide can provide to men who initially were double blind randomized to and received placebo, remained blinded as to their placebo treatment, and who subsequently required additional medical and/or surgical treatment. In that study long-term outcomes were determined in 391 patients who were given double blind placebo injections, followed by crossover to other treatments at the patients' discretion. The numbers of blinded placebo patients who subsequently received surgical treatment during the next 2-3 years for their BPH symptoms were then prospectively analyzed.

For the earlier fexapotide Phase 3 long-term cancer incidence analysis, the men in the study received fexapotide or placebo for the treatment of their prostate enlargement (BPH) symptoms. All men were thoroughly evaluated at expert urological testing investigational centers to exclude any prostate cancer prior to qualifying for enrollment in the studies. The participants were followed for up to 7 years (median of 5 years) after treatment. The study analyzed all cases of prostate cancer that were subsequently diagnosed. The expected rate of new prostate cancer in the U.S. general male population in this age group is in the 5-20% range after 7 years. In the BPH population in published large trials of drugs for the prevention of prostate cancer, the incidence of new prostate cancer cases after 4-7 years has been reported in major studies to be 20-25%. The data analysis from the Nymox fexapotide study showed a statistically significant and very low incidence of 1.3% for prostate cancer in this comparable fexapotide treated BPH population. By comparison, for example in a population of patients with erectile dysfunction treated with PDE5 inhibitor drugs after 4 years the rate of subsequent prostate cancer was 19.5% (and 22.7% in controls) as recently reported in a large U.S. study published in the Journal of Urology (Volume 196; 3, 2016). The quoted study was in a population of middle aged and elderly men without prostate cancer, similar to the Nymox study population.

Nymox has completed and fully financed the execution of seven Phase 3 U.S. BPH clinical protocols, including 2 prospective randomized multicenter single injection double blind clinical trials; 2 U.S. repeat injection clinical trials; and 3 U.S. blinded long-term clinical trial extension studies. In addition, a number of Phase 3 safety and clinical pharmacology studies and analyses have been completed. The Company expects to file for approvals in the next 1-2 quarters. The Company also expects to report further analyses and results when available in the near future. The Company will publish the findings of the fexapotide clinical trials in peer review medical journals as well as in presentations at medical and urological meetings.

To the extent that statements contained in this press release are not descriptions of historical facts regarding Nymox, they are forward-looking statements reflecting the current beliefs and expectations of management made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the need for new options to treat BPH and prostate cancer, the potential of fexapotide to treat BPH and prostate cancer and the estimated timing of further developments for fexapotide. Such forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause our clinical development program, future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the uncertainties inherent in the clinical drug development process, including the regulatory approval process, the timing of Nymox’s regulatory filings, Nymox’s substantial dependence on fexapotide, Nymox’s commercialization plans and efforts and other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of fexapotide. Nymox undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of Nymox in general, see Nymox’s current and future reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2015, and its Quarterly Reports.